Oh Chanukah Oh Chanukah!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009 at 6:04PM So you thought freedom of religion meant the government was out of the religion business? Think again. When it comes to Christmas we started with the National Christmas tree. Then the Chabad Lubavitch—a sect of orthodox Jews—demanded and got equal time for a menorah and we get all the festivities on the Ellipse that go with Chanukah. Oy, it has become a big deal.
Because Tim is a good guy and wants to do a piece about a holiday about which he knows next to nothing, he has asked me to write something about Chanukah in DC. My big qualification for this is that I am Jewish. Since Tim is a friend, I took up the challenge and gave him the day off.
The dates for Chanukah, which can be spelled approximately 10 different ways (I picked my favorite spelling), are based on the Jewish calendar--which is lunar based with an extra month thrown in periodically to confuse people. Most Jews have to consult a calendar to know when it is. I had to look up the dates online because I didn’t upgrade my computer program to have it automatically entered on my calendar (my learning curve for things involving computers is very slow). Chanuakah generally occurs in December, although not always.
Jewish holidays always begin at sundown and end at sundown. Chanukah is 8 days and begins this year on December 13, 2009, and ends this year on December 21, 2009, if I have done my math correctly. If you happen to be in town on those dates, you might want to check out the menorah on The Ellipse (next to the Christmas tree). The menorah is a candelabrum with 9 candles. The one in the middle is always lit during Chanukah. The other candles are lit one at a time (1 the first night, 2 the second night) until all 8 are lit. Then the holiday is over and the menorah gets stored until next year. In my house there also was a cleaning out of the candle wax but the menorah on the ellipse uses light bulbs and is put in a much larger box than mine at home.
The lighting of the menorah (near the Christmas tree) will take place on Sunday December 13th at 4:00pm. Tickets are required but they are free and apparently available. By the way, due to the fact President Obama is not expected to show up, tickets are easier to get than those to the lighting of the national Christmas tree (I don’t know anyone who got those tickets—doled out in a lottery—but some enterprising lottery winners were selling them on ebay for $175 last time I checked). The tickets are for standing room; I don’t think there are seats anyway. Free latkes (potato pancakes) and donuts are promised; these foods are traditional at Chanukah. Also promised is music from the United States Air Force Band and the Three Cantors and dreidel kits. Dreidels are tops traditionally used in a game at Chanukah. I have no idea what a dreidel kit is. Maybe the kids are supposed to make their own. My kids always got little plastic ones to play with which usually got lost and then found when someone tripped over one buried in the carpet.
A listing of other events during Chanukah can be found here. There is even a Matzoh Ball (no, I am not kidding) on December 24, 2009 at 9:00pm for young professionals. Who knows, you might meet your match! It would make your Jewish mother happy.
Chag samayach! (Means “happy holiday” in Hebrew). For the rest of you out there Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Season's Greetings, etc., etc.
Holidays in DC, White House 
Reader Comments (3)
Just to clarify: I wouldn't say I know "nothing about Chanukah". After all, I know almost all the words to Adam Sandler's "Chanukah Song".
Put on your yarmulka!
If you are still confused about the spelling of Chanukah, you might want to listen to this song:
http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=121565045&m=121556976